Conduct Literature for and about Women in Italy

Conduct literature for and about women represents a very broad but still little-studied body of works that is essential for the understanding of the cultural construction of femininity. Conduct texts, being both prescriptive and descriptive sources, offer a fascinating account of and insight into the changing role of women across the centuries according to the needs of society. On the one hand, they record ideological constructions, models, and aspirations, and on the other they reflect contemporary realities, norms, and customs. The essays in this volume aim to trace some of the main features of conduct literature in the Italian tradition, from the last decades of the fifteenth century to the post-unification period.